As you may or may not have known, I had some computer issues this past week. Fortunately the problem has been fixed and everything seems to be running smoothly once again, but I have some catching up to do. So included below is a roundup of news that I missed out on during the past few days that my computer was out of commission:

~Orbit Books has announced their US Fall/Winter 2008 Lineup HERE. As usual, there’s a strong mix of fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy and so on, but the following has me particularly excited:

“The Way of Shadows” by Brent Weeks. Release Date: October 1, 2008. For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art—and he is the city’s most accomplished artist. For Kyllar Stern, survival is essential. As a guild rat, he’s learned to judge people quickly and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. But to be accepted, he must turn his back on everything he has ever known. For the perfect killer has no friends. He only has targets… Volumes II + III of the Night Angel trilogy will be released in Nov + Dec…Order “The Way of Shadows” HERE“The Company” by K.J. Parker. Release Date: October 29, 2008. With masterful storytelling, irresistible wit, and extraordinary insight into human nature, K.J. Parker is widely acknowledged as one of the most original and exciting fantasy writers of modern times. “The Company”, K.J. Parker’s first stand-alone novel, is a tour de force from an author who is changing the face of the fantasy genre… While The Scavenger Trilogy and Devices & Desires disappointed me, I’m looking forward to reading The Company :)Official K.J. Parker WebsiteOrder “The Company” HERE“Deep Water” by Pamela Freeman. Release Date: November 12, 2008. When Acton’s people journeyed through Death Pass a millenia ago, the Eleven Domains were irrevocably changed. The original inhabitants were forced onto the Road, breeding centuries of resentment. But what really happened at Death Pass? The ultimate answer to that question, the past and the future are hidden in time and lie in deep water… “Deep Water” is the second book in the Castings Trilogy, and a novel that I’m highly anticipating...Official Castings Trilogy WebsiteOrder “Deep Water” HERERead Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Blood Ties”

“The Magician’s Apprentice” by Trudi Canavan. Release Date: February 23, 2009. Six hundred years before the events in Trudi Canavan’s (Age of the Five, The Traitor Spy) Black Magician Trilogy, the world was a very different place—both simpler and harsher. Magical healing had not yet been discovered, no guild existed and all magicians were black magicians. But events are brewing that will lead nations into war, rival magicians into conflict, and cause an act of sorcery so brutal that its effects will be felt for centuries…Official Trudi Canavan WebsiteOrder “The Magician’s Apprentice” HERE“This Is Not A Game” by Walter Jon Williams. Release Date: March 24, 2009. “This Is Not a Game” is a novel built around the coolest phenomenon in the world—the Alternate Reality Game, or ARG. It’s immersive, massively interactive, and it’s spreading through the Internet at the speed of light. And now, one of science fiction’s most acclaimed writers, Walter Jon Williams (Implied Spaces), brings this extraordinary phenomenon to life in a pulse-pounding thriller. This is not a game. This is a novel that will blow your mind…Official Walter Jon Williams WebsiteOrder “This Is Not A Game” HEREIn other Orbit news, author Jeff Somers has put together a video trailer for his new book, “The Digital Plague” (Reviewed HERE):

Set in the year 2041, “The Good Humor Man, or, Calorie 3501” follows the cross-country quest of former plastic surgeon Louis Shmalzberg to reclaim his honor, dignity, and a precious family heirloom—the long-preserved liposuctioned belly fat of none other than The King, Elvis Presley. In Louis' world, and thanks in part to his misguided efforts, a pound of genuine chocolate is worth more on the black market than a kilo of cocaine, and bands of government-sanctioned vigilantes known as the Good Humor Men patrol the streets, seeking to burn all contraband—fattening food products—and thus limit the cost of state-provided health care. But the craze for svelte healthfulness has gotten out of hand, and a mysterious wasting plague threatens to consume all mammalian flesh on the planet. And only the lost mortal remains of The King may provide a defense…

“The Good Humor Man, or, Calorie 3501” is gonzo in the grand tradition of Tim Powers, with a major nod of the hat to Ray Bradbury and his classic novel, Fahrenheit 451.

Now I lay me down to sleep,I pray the Lord my soul to keep.And if I should die before I awake,I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school…but this year she’s ready to change all that. After spending all summer ‘rebooting’ her look and her life, she is more than ready to turn her nonexistent status as “seat filler” into Hawthorne High A-List. But in her eagerness to climb the Hawthorne social ladder, she lands “six feet under” instead, after accidentally choking on a gummy bear after Physics class. Now a 'can-do' spirit, Charlotte is not letting the simple fact that she’s dead stop her from attainting her goal of popularity. It just makes her more creative about her approach...

Exploring the invisibility we all feel at times and the lengths we'll go to be seen, Tonya Hurley (PBS, ABC Family, Playstation) debuted her ghostgirl character in 2002 on www.ghostgirl.com. The website, which quickly attracted a devoted community of teens, was a two-time Webby Award honoree—in the same category as major corporations including DKNY, NYTimes, Nickelodeon and Sony for Best Home Page. By the time the book was acquired, www.ghostgirl.com had received over 20 million hits. The young adult novel goes on sale August 1, 2008 and is a beautifully packaged book, well worth the cover price :) If I have time, I hope to review it, but if not, I just wanted to bring “ghostgirl” to the attention of readers. Foreign rights for the novel have so far been sold to Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Poland and Korea…

~In an effort to help those who were affected by the recent Writer’s Strike and layoffs, Criminal Minds Fanatic’s Assistance Fund Blog is holding two auctions featuring books by author Elizabeth Bear. So by placing a bid, not only are you helping out a good cause—all proceeds will be donated to the Actors Fund and the Writers Guild of America—but it is also a golden opportunity to win an Elizabeth Bear novel :) The first auction HERE is for a set of both “Blood & Iron” and “Whiskey & Water” from The Promethean Age series. The second auction HERE is for a copy of the award-nominated “Undertow”. Both auctions end Monday, July 21, 2008 — 1:00PM EST.

~Lastly, from July 8th through October 10th, author/reviewer/editor Jeff VanderMeer will be taking a break from blogging to finish up his new novel, teach at Shared Worlds at Wofford College, and travel to the Czech Republic for a con and the Czech release of “New Weird”, followed by a Romanian book tour with his wife, Ann. In the meantime, Ecstatic Days will feature a diverse and fascinating array of guest bloggers: